Thankfully it seemed no one knew of her little escapade. Good. For now she was relieved of her frustration and that was all that mattered.
The Arisen and Selene have returned back to Cassardis in the meantime. Judging by the sheer weight of herbs on Pawn's shoulders, the hunt was quite successful. Madeleine was happy for them, though she was not feeling one for the conversation at the moment. Excusing herself with some business to attend she made an escape to her room at the inn, dropping on the bed with a frustrated sigh. Yes, her arousal was gone for the time being, but she was not at all pleased with herself.
Ah. She needed to do something, take her mind off these things. Changing into a new outfit would be a good start. Discarding the traces of lewdness together with her usual wear would be good, yes. She took her time to undress: first came her boots, then the golden jacket. Slowly – after having one more look to see if no one was peeking on her in her room – she undid her dress and then did away with the shirt, freeing her sizeable breasts once more today. A brief notion came to feel at them – they seemed a little more sensitive today, especially after earlier – but Madeleine curbed the lewd thought where it stood. Oof, the things she had to think about...
The blond merchant undid her tights and finally hooked her panties off, now standing completely nude before the mirror. Nature has graced her with a rather voluptuous body that she loved and treasured no less than the riches she strived to find and earn. It would not be an exaggeration to say she might have had the largest bust in all of Gransys. That wasn't all, of course; her frame wasn't too small nor too tall and the perfect balance between girly slenderness and womanly thickness. Of course, her breasts were on the prominent display first and foremost – she made sure of that in her usual wear, naturally – but the other parts of her were as good. These, these were not for everyone, merely for those she deemed proper.
Madeleine sighed, taking in the sight of her pale skin. She had tanned a little since her arrival to Cassardis, a notion that irked her immensely. Yes, she was nowhere on the level of the locals, but her alabaster complexion had to stay like this to remain attractive. Sadly she was out of the anti-tan powder she had acquired the other day. Well, no matter for now; it was time to dress up lest someone actually walks on her and has an eyeful she did not approve of giving.
Madeleine's eyes wandered over to the selection of local clothes, sewn according to the Cassardi tradition. They were... well-made. Made with love, no doubt. The very sight was making the blonde's eye twitch. Ah, the things she had to do these days. At the very least they were bound to be comfortable and easily put on and taken off. Perfect if she ever needed to... go over to Starfall Bay again. She put on the cotton undergarments – a simple one-strapped top, a little tight around her chest and a pair of high-waisted panties – and gave herself a look. No, even if it was considered "fine" it just didn't suit her. Plus, frankly, it's been ages since she wore a bra or an equivalent of thereof.
She grabbed the dress previously hanging on her chair, about the usual length in a neutral light brown color with some additional designs added by Aelinore herself. It seemed that the ex-duchess had quite a talented hand. The rest of the dress was typical Cassardi work, but that little touch made Madeleine feel a little more at ease. It was royalty making her clothing, at least partially. She finished with a pair of ankle-high sandals and little wrist bangles that the locals wore as a charm to ward off evil spirits.
Madeleine looked at herself in the mirror again, sighing. Well, this wasn't that bad a look though it was likely less because of her unflattering clothing and more because of her own natural aptitude to fill in any clothes. A humorous notion reached her that she could parade around in a jester's garb and still turn heads from lust rather than siliness.
She flopped back on the bed with a tired sigh. Suddenly, she just felt drained and exhausted. Perhaps getting an early sleep wouldn't be too bad? Just resting, her whole body stretched comfortably on the mattress...
She wouldn't mind company. It did not have to be a lewd endeavour either; Madeleine was – shame as it was to admit it in public – a cuddlebug. When she was younger she would be a little more physical with people of all ages, just nuzzling, hugging and snuggling. Of course, as she grew older and her need for a proper image grew taller she abandonded that over time.
Now however, in this sleepy little village, she felt that after all the misadventures that befell her she could allow herself a little spoiling. Man or woman, it didn't matter: for cuddles she could take any sex.
Lo and behold, it was Arisen herself who saw fit to visit her. There was a bout of rapping to Madeleine's door. "Madeleine? Are you there?" It definitely was the voice of the girl she fantasized about earlier today. Thank the Maker both of the Arisens were mostly silent in that little dream of hers, else she would have trouble listening to her, too. Nevertheless, blonde's body went taut for a moment as her head moved up sharply and her gaze fixated on the door. Oh dear, oh dear. She could pretend she's not here...? No, that would not do. If anything, Arisen had likely asked the innkeeper about her before.
"Y-yes. Please, do come in." She replied, keeping her voice on the level and sitting up on the bed, straightening her dress a little. In she came, the blue scarf wrapped tightly around her neck and a bit of her face. She wore a simple Cassardi shirt and a pair of denim pants with thigh-high boots. Normally she had more armor on herself. The usually intense, frowning face was now soft and concerned.
"I do hope I haven't interrupted anything." She spoke, giving Madeleine a careful, measuring look. That was strange, to see her in something other than the usual wear that attracted many a stare. Perhaps she was finally getting used to the atmosphere of their little village. It was the dress Aelinore added to, too.
"Ah no, not at all. Just having some rest, dear friend." Madeleine replied with her tried and proven little coquettish smile. "May I help you somehow, Arisen?"
"Come on, you don't have to call me Arisen." The dark-haired girl rolled her eyes, her ponytail bobbing a little together with her head. "Weren't we through this?"
"I just like the sound of how it rolls off my tongue." Madeleine grinned and, with no small amount of satisfaction, watched as the other girl's cheeks burned red. "Arrrrrrrisen."
"Madeleine, by the Maker, please..."
"Ah fine, fine. I might just mention to her lordship that you do seem to like the rolling r." Arisen gave her a dirty look and made a disgruntled pout, arms folded on her chest. She was back to the intense self, though this one was still tinged with embarrassment. "How may I help you?"
"I was hoping you could give me a massage." And then it was Madeleine's confidence that evaporated for all of a precious second as her jaw hung open in a completely undignified way.
"I'm... I beg your pardon, Arisen?"
"You said you are quite an able masseuse. Is that the right word?" Madeleine nodded mechanically, still blankly staring at the girl in front of her asking for a massage, and so bluntly. Well, Arisen was not the type to beat around the bush too often. She was right in this matter, too; the blond merchant might have mentioned that her hands were quite skilled in easing pains and troubles. She was no doctor, but she could provide quite some comfort. That was how she started out before there could be talk of any real business. Plus, it made for a pleasant introduction to more carnal entertainment.
"'tis a little silly to admit, but my back is killing me." The Arisen rolled her shoulders with a little groan. "Selene does not have any ointments that could ease the cricks and I wouldn't feel right if I had to ask a Pawn for healing magic on the backache."
"Well, I suppose..." Could she? Her hands were now behind her, so Arisen couldn't see how much they shook now. The woman she had a fantasy about, asking her to massage her? Yes, she might have not liked women that way, she hoped, but it was nevertheless... oh goodness, it's like fate itself conspired to set her up. "I don't want to make it worse."
"Unless you're really a harpy or a direwolf, I should be fine." The other girl grinned as she loosened her scarf and put it away on the chair. She had a new scar, it seemed; a gash across the left corner of her lips. Always too reckless and too eager to throw herself into the fray. "Of course, I'll pay you if you want me-"
"Ah, don't be silly, Arisen." Madeleine waved off the notion with a laugh. "'tis such a small favor, it's nothing to ask the coin for."
"Uncharacteristically generous of you." Arisen noted with a quirked brow. The blonde made a soundless squeak. The puzzled frown was however gone in a flash as it was replaced with a more genuine smile, a precious rare smile that Madeleine knew was a treat mostly to Aelinore and Selene, and hardly anyone else. "Thank you, Madeleine. You're too kind to me."
A moment later, the blond merchant had a partially undressed Arisen on her bed, lying on her chest with hands providing rest for her chin. Her shirt and the top she wore underneath it were discarded so they wouldn't get in the way. Now, sitting lightly on her thighs and leaning over with a heart threatening to burst out of her chest, Madeleine could see the full extent of Arisen's scars. They were everywhere, a selection so gruesome it made her stomach turn a little... and yet at the same time those slashes, bites and claw marks only served to get her more excited. Her hands, soft and gentle, rested upon the other girl's shoulders, feeling them with the fingertips. She couldn't help but wonder if Arisen knew which scar was caused by who or what. A foolish notion of hers, but one that got into her head in a futile attempt to get the indecent thoughts out of her mind.
No doubt she had more scars over her tanned, athletic body... Madeleine bit her lip. Calm down. Just... attend to your customer. That was all Arisen was at the moment. A customer in need of a massage. A customer treated free of charge because Madeleine was such a generous, magnanimous person. Slowly, she felt for first knots on her back and pressed at them. It was a strange contrast. She felt at Arisen's body before – if through the clothing – but only now it reached her how different she was not only from her or Aelinore, but even from her peers here at Cassardis. Over time, she must have gained not only scars, but muscles aplenty. Another knot gave away and Arisen let out a little, pleased sigh. Madeleine went taut for a moment before mentally kicking herself to calm down and just get it over with.
Most knots seemed to have gathered around her shoulders and the small of her back and Madeleine moved her hands accordingly, her palms and fingertips swimming through the sea of bite marks, sword slashes and other grim reminders of Arisen's work. It was almost like a second skin. This poor girl had seen so much abuse at such a young age, too. She was a year younger than Aelinore, merely twenty one springs and yet she had fought monsters and brigands, creatures that hardened soldiers shuddered to think about... and always said she was only there to point her Pawns in the right direction, this humble silly goose. One who faced against The Dragon and not only lived, but defeated the beast was a hero, no matter how much she would oppose the idea of being called as such. "I was only doing what should be done", she would say.
"Ah... oh Maker, that feels so good..." The Arisen let out a little moan and an approving hum, causing Madeleine to freeze on the spot again. Subconsciously she pressed there again, harder. "Ah!" Another moan, fuller and oh so much more desired. Her moans were so cute... Her body was warm, too. Last time she touched there was a little chill to her, no doubt because of a lack of her heart at that time.
Another mental kick. Control yourself. She has a beloved. You can't just go about strutting your stuff like this and besides... she was still a woman. Loving her or lusting after her was simply inappropriate for you. You could appreciate how her body looked or tease her, but anything else was not for her. Slowly, her hands left the desired spot and continued pleasuring the scar-covered girl, doing away with the pains and making more moans and hums out of her. Each felt like a separate soothing melody to Madeleine, though none of them were as satisfied as the one from earlier. Nevertheless, with a little work even this rugged, scarred body could become soft to the touch.
"Mmh... t-thank you..." The Arisen stammered, seemingly ready to move up. Oh, she couldn't be done so soon. "Think I'm good..."
"Are you sure, dear? Nothing else that needs massaging?" Madeleine kept her sweet, polite voice on. Thankfully the other girl could not see how she was biting her lip in anticipation. Say yes... say yes...
"I don't want to bother you more-"
"It's not a problem at all. I'd love to help." I'd love to do feel more of your body. I'd love to touch you in places where only Aelinore touched before. Make you moan, squeal, make you wet for my touch.
Of course, those weren't the things she had said. She took a moment to calm her rabid thoughts down. She needed a moment on her own, it seemed. A moment of solitude that she could savor later, so lewd thoughts would leave her head. Some sleep that would not turn into a wet, erotic dream...
"Well... if you do not mind, can I... ask you to massage my whole body?" There was a brief moment of silence. Madeleine noticed how Arisen's ears turned red in but a moment. "T-the legs and the front, t-that is." She stammered. The blond merchant on top of her swallowed hard and the only silver lining of this situation was that both of them felt rather ashamed. Really, Madeleine pondered why exactly was Arisen going this far. She had to be aware of the implications. Was Aelinore okay with this?
Perhaps that was the case only because Madeleine had made herself clear back in a day that she does not like women? "S-sure..." With an uneasy nod she watched The Arisen turn around, covering her modest chest with her arm with no small amount of blush as yet another collection of scars and bruises unraveled before Madeleine's eyes. "Oh you poor girl... that many memories of fights must be painful to wear."
"I manage." The dark-haired girl managed a little smile. "Whatever won't kill me shall make me stronger yet." Madeleine smiled with her, resisting an urge to fidget a little. Slowly, she shuffled off The Arisen's body to sit next to her and move her pants off. She wore undergarments, thank the Maker, but her legs were yet another collection of various scars. It seemed they were less worn than her upper body however. She managed to calm herself down, too. It was just a massage now, a casual massage if one going slightly further than the usual. She raised the other girl's legs to rub the kinks out and send her a little teasing smile that sent her sputtering and blushing, briefly tickling her feet, going back lower and so on, and so forth. She had found a proper rhythm.
Soon every kink that bothered The Arisen has been fought off and the poor, flustered girl was back to her full state of dress. "T-thank you. I realize this might have been an unusual request, but... I felt like I really need it." She explained, still blushing. Madeleine took it in stride. With her demons suppressed, it was finally possible to not shake like a leaf in Arisen's presence.
"Think nothing of it, darling." She shot her her tested and proven coquettish little smile. "I'm always happy to help."
"...that said, Madeleine... is something bothering you?" The Arisen tilted her head a little. "You seem to be... on edge, slightly."
"On edge?"
"I'm not sure how to put it. Nervous?"
"Ah. Please do not worry about it, Arisen." Madeleine's smile didn't falter this time, thankfully. "I am in perfect health. Merely tired, is all." She opened her arms for the other girl. The fisherwoman turned hero smiled back and dove right into a hug. They both loved cuddling.
Their first cuddling session, as Madeleine recalled, felt different.